1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an electrical connector with a function of detecting interfitting engagement of male and female connector housings.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Air bag system has rapidly come into wide use for protecting automobile drivers and passengers against shock upon occurrence of crash of automobiles. An operating circuit for the air bag system comprises terminals connected to an ignition device for a gas generating agent accommodated in an inflator and terminals connected via a crash sensor to a power source, these terminals being connected together by an electrical connector. When the crash sensor senses shock due to crash of the automobile, electric current is supplied to the ignition device so that the gas generating agent is ignited. A large amount of gas is produced in a moment and fed into a bag, thereby inflating it.
The air bag system is required to reliably operate in crash of the automobile while malfunction thereof needs to be avoided occasions other than occurrence of crash. Male and female terminals of the connector are disconnected when the air bag system is installed in the automobile or when the air bag system is inspected, for example. In this regard, the terminals accommodated in the connector housing at the side of the air bag are opened. Even in such a condition, there is a possibility that a magnetic or electric field generated around the connector induces voltage between the disconnected terminals. In this case, the electric current accidentally flows into the ignition device of the inflator, resulting in malfunction of the air bag system.
In view of the above-described problem, the prior art has provided an electrical connector with a function of preventing malfunction of the air bag system. The connector comprises male and female connector housings accommodating male and female terminals respectively. A pair of female terminals are connected to the ignition device of the inflator. A short-circuiting terminal is disposed in the female connector housing so that a short circuit is usually made between the pair of female terminals. The short-circuiting terminal is displaced to be away from the pair of female terminals when the female and male connector housings are fitted one into the other.
In the above-described connector, an operator needs to visually inspect as to whether or not the short-circuiting terminal has released the female terminals from the short-circuited condition in the interfitting engagement of the male and female connector housings. However, it is difficult to determine as to whether or not the female terminals have been released from the short-circuited condition, and the visual inspection for the determination is troublesome. This poses a problem.